CORDILLERA – HIGHLANDS MUSIC
Saggeypo – bamboo panpipes
The Cordillera
Inhabitants of the Cordillera used to settle along the
coast until they decided to live up in the mountain to elude
Spanish rule. For a living, they engaged in agriculture,
woodcarving, basket and cloth weaving. The people had faith
in the anitos and when asking favors they offered animals
during rituals. They also practiced offering rituals to give
thanks and adoration.
MUSIC OF THE CORDILLERA
Life of the Cordillera people is always related to
music. They boast of rich, varied songs, and music from their
indigenous authentic instruments. They welcome everyone on
the community to participate in their dancing, singing, and
playing musical instruments.
Cordillera music is commonly sung in unison of
pentatonic melodies since it is communal and participatory.
Along with their culture, these are handed down to the
succeeding generations through oral traditions.
FUNCTIONS OF MUSIC
Music serves as a means of communicating and
expressing their message and feelings:
 Birth, coming of age, work, marriage and death
 Healing rituals
 Invocation of the Gods
 Peace pacts
 Rites of passage
 Wedding and festivities
VOCAL FORM
The Ifugao tribal people chanted the “Hudhud” as
one of their earliest traditions. They chant this when a known
member of the village dies. Another instance is during harvest
season. “Hudhud” is one of the earliest written epics in the
Philippines.
TRADITIONAL KALINGA INSTRUMENTS
1. Tongatong – a bamboo tube made to sound by
stamping.
2. Bungkaka or Bilbil – a bamboo instrument with a
forked end opening. It
creates a buzzer like
sound when you strike it
in your palm that is why
it is also called buzzer.
3.
4. Kullitong – a polychordal bamboo tube zither.
5. Gangsa – flat gong of the cordillera people. This
instrument is played with bare hands. They perform
with a group to form an ensemble. Topayya ensemble
of the Kalingas is formed of six gongs in different
sizes.
** You can easily identify Cordillera music because of its
typical two sound characteristics produced by the
materials used for the instruments.
Instruments made of bamboos such as:
 Flutes,
 Percussion instruments, and
 Instruments made of metals like the gongs
*** On of the famous musical instruments made of bamboo in
the Philippines in the Las Piňas Bamboo Organ.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT CLASSIFICATION
Hornbostel and Sachs Classification is a system of classifying
musical instruments devised by Erich Moritz von Hornbostel
and Curl Sachs
1. AEROPHONES – This musical instrument itself
does not vibrate. There are no vibrating strings or
membranes. Vibrating air is responsible for
production of sound.
2. CHODRDOPHONES – “String instruments”,
including the keyboard instruments, such as pianos
and harpsichords.
3. IDIOPHONES – This group includes all percussion
instruments except drums and some other
instruments.
4. MEMBRANOPHONES – Sound is produced by the
vibration of a tightly stretched membrane, including
all drums.